Free Wicked Lovers 06.5 Wicked All The Way by Shayla Black Page A

their restaurant, Bonheur. Everyone would be
there…including Caleb. If she didn’t tell Kata the truth now, her daughter
would only ask later, when she should be focused on her new home and having her
husband with her for the holidays.
    She heaved a big sigh. “Caleb and I tried having
a…relationship. It did not work, and I miss him far, far more than I imagined I
would after such a short time.”
    Kata’s eyes bulged. “He dumped you? That makes no sense.
That man has been crazy about you—”
    “No, Mija . I told
him that such a relationship would not work. You and Hunter have settled your
issues with control and power, and I know your…” She looked at the discreet
collar around her daughter’s neck, and after many conversations, understood
what it represented. “Your private life has helped with that, but I—”
    “Stop there, Mamá. Hunter and I have worked it out, and yes,
understanding that his dominance isn’t meant to flatten but help me has made a huge difference. I
know the Colonel is a force to be reckoned with, but he would never make you
miserable like Gordon.”
    “Not intentionally. He has a good heart. But he does not
understand my need for independence, I fear. And to please him, I wonder…would
I simply let him have his way?”
    “There are so many things wrong with that statement…” She
shook her head. “First, I don’t think so, but talk to him! I don’t understand… Tell me what happened—and don’t
leave anything out.”
    Trying to hold back her tears, she related the incident with
Gordon at the restaurant. To others—maybe even to Kata—breaking a burgeoning
relationship because she felt silenced may seem extreme. But after so many
years of misery, she could not bear the risk of losing herself, of disappearing
again. She would rather be alone and able to stand on her own two feet than to
be utterly dependent again.
    Kata leaned forward and took her hands. She hesitated for a
long moment before she finally sent her an empathetic frown. “I understand. I
struggled with so many of the things you’re feeling now. I want to ask you a
few questions and answer me very honestly, okay?”
    “Of course.”
    “These won’t be easy questions. First, do you believe in
your heart that Caleb would ever want you subjugated and silenced? That he
would disrespect or neglect you in any way?”
    “No. He would mean well, always. He has a kind heart and
good intentions. I know he merely meant to protect me from Gordon, but it is my
battle to fight, if I choose to fight
it. I did not. Gordon is a rat not worth my time and anger.”
    “But he’s a rat who will come back if you don’t put him in
his place. Has he tried to contact you since you ran into him?” Kata sent her a
knowing stare.
    Carlotta flushed. “He called the hospital earlier this week,
asking for me, and left a message.”
    “There you go. He believes that you’re sufficiently cowed
now because you didn’t stand up for yourself. He may even believe that he can
bully you into coming back. I don’t know. But I don’t think Caleb had the wrong
idea exactly. Sure it might have been nice if he’d talked to you before he
threatened the asshole, but honestly, what would you have thought of Caleb if
he’d done nothing while Gordon denigrated you?”
    The question ripped through her thoughts with quiet
destruction. Carlotta had never considered the situation from that point of
view. But she knew the answer immediately. “I do not think I could respect such
a man. It reeks of cowardice.”
    “And that’s something no one will ever accuse the Colonel of
having. In his eyes, you were his to care for and protect. He wouldn’t have
been treating you properly if he had let Gordon walk all over you without
saying a word in your defense. You know what would have happened if Hunter had
been with you.”
    Yes, her son-in-law would likely have punched Gordon and
threatened him with something violent and unrepeatable. By